Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-29
PESTS OF AFRICA. !
A COUNTRY WELL SUPPLIED WITH
ALL SORTS OF INSECTS.
The wsy. OF the white Ant-The Re
markabi- ''Hott~ntot God'-t:rAsshop-
p.r., Iocust>, Moths and Butterflies.
The Croco,lile-Nenonious snakes.

The termites, or white ants build for
themselves houses or hills of an average
height of three feet above the ground and
three feet diameter nj the base, Cunical III
shape and sometimes adorned with one or
two pinuacles. In rare Gases the hills rise
to "A height uf four or five feet. the sub
stance of which they are constructed,
earth mixed with a secretion from their
own bodies, heinG as hard a. cement.
Mixed with water it is used as a mortar
i'll having bricks and rs covering for the
floors of kaffir kraals and the houses of
Dutch inhabitants II makes strong
water and damp proof ti"ot. The ant
houses III the interior are divided into
apartments connected by galleries. The
ants have among themselves regular
guards and soldiers, who, when breach
is made in their dwelling, rush forth in
its defense and muster the working ants,
who curiously enough are without eyes,
10 repair the damage. and in y surprisingly
short time the swarms Of ants will have
effected all repairs and everything will lie
right and quiet again. An animal dies on
the Neldt, soon the vultures will have
torn off his hide and devour all of it eN
cepting the bones, then the ants in their
turn clean and polish those so that within
twenty four hours after death there will
remain only the bones, smooth and pol
ished inside and out, and what WAS the
day previous Il living animal is now a dis
iuinted and whtened skeleton.
A book could be written on the various
species OF ants, but let us pass on To some
of the other insects which abound ia
Africa Here can say word in favor
of the detested mosquito. In south Africa
he is quite decent. He only bites during
the day and AT sunset, unlike his Amer
lean cousin, goes 10 sleep and gives you
rest As 10 tieas, they are found in
legionS and are aS active and bloodthirsty
as any in the world.
Sitting i'll my room one evening reading,
my attention WAS drawn 10 II remarkable
looking insect which sat upon his
baunches before me. IL WAS of a bright
emerald green color, three inches long,
and evidently Of the grasshopper species.
1t had face like deaths head, with
large, protruding eyes, which it rolled
about in a most comical manner Its
forelegs rcsembled arms with hands,
which il held up on either side of its face
like Mortified old woman. Altogether it
is q most ludicrous insect 1t is called by
the inhabitants the ''Hottentot God. y
The katfirs are very superstitious about
it. believing that il is the torerunner Of
death. II is harmless unless annoyed,
when il will show fight
OF 9rasshoppers and locusts there are
many sorts, from those that are six inches
long and arInor plated like a small iron
clad to little wee things hardly percep-
tible. All Of them, however, are terribly
destructive 10 vegetation. Moths aud
butterflies are innumerable; some of them
,ha ao,yars in th. hr;ob, African snpl;ybf
Nj. oth.r, ar. nf q NOR. snuha, hue
~. ,uxt not forgot the destructive fish
moth who tnds on, ali w,.,lsp garments
.nd :, yo,,r r,t.r ,Ii.nax wbrn !, cnld sr,n
copes ON .nd Won, ,hink van bay. a nir.
uor,, e,,rm.n, 10 mn, am oiy;rgit. ,h.ss
IN dislodo,. The sniders .cornions and
o,hsr dissorse,hIe tenants who Ike Ia
tot. nm ,bs;r ,hods in ali nm, swax cloth.
in, tn find il fIy of in d,,st and Instead
Of VIA, von .xnactad Won haxs tns
lac wortsd arf;cI. nss,ess even il
orn.mantal Sn,ders there are from
tbos,. as largo ss a niyeon's egf, IN tb,.
smallest ,unc.iyahl. size yanomons and
,srr;t,,. in ,bs;r hi,ss I,,rtin,I il, oil sorfs
of hidden nIsces One 81 the mo.t dan,
ger,us nf the species is a small round
bodieI Fellow whose fay,ri,, b,un, +. j.,
outbo,1,es and in closets. and whose b,re
is yery psinful SCORPIONS ar. uieptifu,
and poisonous. Centiped.s are found
everywhere. In fact. with those insect.
that I hay. mentioned and other, not en-
uumerated the dweller in Africa needs To
keen his eyes o,,.n. but lik. men who
work in powder Factories or similarly dan
ysrcu, places one become. accustomed 10
all these deadly insects. and a scorpiou.
centipe,ie or tarantula is brushed off in a
cool. matter OF fact WAY. crushed with In,
foot and nothing more. thought about il
The larges. and most dangerous. al.
Though not the most numerous reptiie in
Africa is the crocodile. Infestinv ths
banks of the numerous rivers and layoous
he lies in wait for his prev, and seizes on
cattle. deer and human beings. His favor
ite repss,. however. is a dog II one is
bowling or barking In the neighborhood
the crocodile is alert and on the lookout
for him. and il he Is caught short work is
made of him. Resembling the crocodile
in appearauce although in miniature il
the iguana. a harmless reptile. which
however is death TO snakes This reptjle
lives in holes in trees. and is rather pretty
in color Next come the lizards, plentiful
and harmless. Then the chameleon,
changing his color 10 that of the object ON
which he may be resting 1t is quite the
thing in Africa 10 keep one or two ON a
suspended branch Of tree in YOUR room,
as tbey deyour an immense number of
flies and are useful in that way. When
aanoyed the chameleon will utter a short
tnrk and spit at his assailsnt.
The most dangerous and most plentifnl
rests Of this country are the MANY Species
II snakes. First in size comes the n.y.
thon, or boa constructor; although not
maintaining the immense size of his South
AWAY from. This snake ia found mostly
in the low country adjoining the coast.
and psrticulsrly On the supar estates II
grows 10 length OF 10 or IL feet, but is
~ oo .IISt' seis uanSei'us' ineh "e